Ryan Braun, who led the Milwaukee Brewers to the National League Central title with one of the best offensive years in franchise history, was named NL Most Valuable Player on Tuesday.

The leftfielder led the league in slugging percentage (.597) and OPS (.994) while finishing second in batting average (.332), runs (109) and total bases (336). Additionally, he was among the league leaders in on-base percentage, hits, doubles, triples, home runs and RBIs.

Ryan Braun is the first Brewer MVP since 1989. (AP Photo)

Braun is the first Brewer to be named MVP since Robin Yount won the American League award in 1989.

"It's an incredible feeling," Braun said in a radio interview with 540ESPN in Milwaukee. "I can't even describe it. I've had a smile on my face from ear to ear."

Braun was listed first on 20 ballots and second on the rest of the 32 submitted by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and received 388 points.

Finishing second in the balloting was Los Angeles Dodger centerfielder Matt Kemp, who received 10 first-place votes and a total of 332 points. Kemp was the NL leader in runs (115), home runs (39), RBIs (126) and total bases (35). He also finished in the top five in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, hits and stolen bases.

"If (Kemp) had won the award, I couldn't have argued with it," Braun said in the radio interview, adding that he believed Milwaukee making the playoffs was the single biggest reason he beat out the Dodger star.

Braun's Milwaukee teammate Price Fielder finished third with one first place vote (229 points). Rounding out the top five were Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton (214 points) and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols.

Braun becomes the third Brewer to win an MVP, joining Hall of Famers Yount (1982, 1989) and Rollie Fingers (1981). Those three honors came while Milwaukee was in the AL.